A 1967 Shelby GT500 Has Been Reimagined in Carbon Fibre
Classic Recreations with SpeedKore Performance Group are developing the product, the restomod will be built to order.
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Few automobiles epitomised American muscle like the Shelby GT500 when it was introduced in 1967. A meaner Mustang, the original model carried fibreglass body panels and a 265kW, Ford FE Series 428 cubic-inch V-8 that could launch the 1528-kilogram two-door from zero to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds. Remember, we hadn’t landed on the moon yet and the Beatles were still together—these performance specs were newsworthy for the era.
But what would this pony look like today if production continued? Well, in a way it has, and Oklahoma-based Classic Recreations provides an answer with its “new” 1967 Shelby GT500CR Mustang. Currently in the development phase, the vehicle is set to be the only carbon-fibre version of the iconic model.
“I was really inspired by Carroll Shelby,” says Jason Engel, founder and president of Classic Recreations, a company sanctioned by Ford and Shelby American to manufacture continuation cars and restore their respective models. “His legendary designs and functionality blend so well, and the GT500 is one of the most coveted muscle cars in the world. I couldn’t ignore that.”
To make this composite restomod a reality, Engel has collaborated with the team of fabricators at SpeedKore Performance Group out of Wisconsin. The process begins with the steel tub of a donor Mustang from 1967 or ’68. A 3-D model is then made based off a scan of a conventionally bodied Shelby GT500CR from Classic Recreations before a CNC machine makes the moulds for the aerospace-grade carbon-fibre panels. The latter is then cured in an autoclave.
As with other GT500 builds from Classic Recreations, this latest offering will pair a Tremac five-speed manual transmission (although six-speed manual and automatic options are also available) with one of several possible engine selections. Among the latter is a supercharged 427 cubic inch beast that makes 900 hp—mind-boggling output, especially considering that a stock 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 from Ford boasts 566kW.
The car will be built to order and benefits from coilover suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and Wilwood brakes, although a host of upgrades will also be available to prospective owners. After the $328,430 starting cost of a compatible base model Shelby GT500CR from Classic Recreations, the painted carbon-fibre package is priced at an additional $84,000, or $91,000 for the exposed weave.
“I remember hearing Carroll [Shelby] dream about carbon fibre and his vision for the future of his vehicles in the early ’90s, Engel says. “Ever since then, I have dreamed of helping see that vision come true and am finally making it happen.”
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